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One hundred and thirty-seven South African women infected with HIV are reportedly seeking refugee status in Canada, according to a radio news report.

SABC radio news on Saturday reported that the Toronto Sun newspaper ran an article saying the women had not returned home after attending the Aids conference in Toronto last month.

Although Sapa could access the article, Toronto Sun columnist Joe Warmington wrote on the newspaper's website that "out there somewhere there's 150 refugee claimants, many with HIV, who skipped authorities and didn't leave after last month's Aids conference".

Warmington estimated that the cost of treating an Aids patient could reach a million Canadian dollars a year.

"And there is the cost of housing these people while they wait for their hearings. Somebody has to stand up for the Canadian taxpayer, who has to foot that bill".

He described the move as an "orchestrated campaign of people jumping the immigration queue".

Warmington further quoted Neil Desai, Ontario director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF), saying these refugees "should head back to their own countries and follow the proper (immigration) process".

The Canadian High Commission in Pretoria could not be reached for comment. - Sapa